AKIHABARA: Siddique Akiba Shop.... Thai Curry, Viet Pho and Indian!?

An off day wandering Akihabara for a bit of lunch and noticed a sign for 500yen Vietnamese Pho... hmm... I've recently been hooked on Pho24 and the craving kicked in.  BUTT... this is the most common Indian Curry chain in Tokyo (you can read my Chicken Skin Curry experience here). 

What caught my eye at the entrance was their one coin 500yen Pho... So had to give it a try.  Menu included Vietnamese and Thai foods.

My Chicken Pho arrived... hmm... very strong black pepper taste... got bored after a few bites but it was just weird eating Pho in an Indian restaurant.  I didn't finish this.  But if you are on a budget visiting Tokyo then this will definitely fill you up.

Friend went with the Gapao Rice... she couldn't finish it because it was extremely spicy.  The beef reminded me of the mushy stuff used in Taco-Bell... didn't really look like ground beef.  Think they heavily used red pepper for this... also odd eating Thai food at an Indian place.

Lunch menu comes with a salad with orange colored dressing... this shop isn't very clean and the 1st floor door is wide open so you sweat during your meal... and this salad, it just didn't seem very clean, like there were germs hidden inside ready to get you sick.  I may be wrong but cleanliness just didn't seem a part of this shops atmosphere.

Here is the Indian Curry menu and prominently on the very bottom is the famous 500yen soft mushy chicken skin curry (Tori-Gawa-Curry)!  Now if you visit any of the Siddique shops please try the chicken skin... its freaky but addictive.

Shop: Siddique Akiba Shop

Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131101/13037323/

Shop Website: http://www.siddique.co.jp/

Address J:  東京都千代田区外神田3-16-14

Address E:  Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, SotoKanda 3-16-14

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KAMIYACHO: Nirvanam 1,200yen Indian Buffet... Highly ranked at 3.94pts

Only about two small blocks from Kamiyacho Station (Hibiya train line) and above a beef bowl spot.

Arrived at an early 11:30am for a seat and we started.

First round...

I think we need to reuse out plates but just picked up a clean one and doubled up... the staff won't take your used plate away.

2nd plate... everything was very tasty.

This sweet rice dessert was great... took the edge off the spicy curries.

Not sure what this was but they sell little items near the register.  

Overall a great restaurant but if you arrive at noon then be prepared to line up for a while... when we exited the line went all the way down the 2nd floor staircase.  Definitely worth a try...

Shop: NIRVANAM

Location: Kamiyacho Station (One stop from Roppongi on Hibiya-Line)

Foodie Blog: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130704/13019915/

Shop Website: http://www.nirvanam.jp/

Address J:  東京都港区虎ノ門3-19-7 大手ビル ２Ｆ

Address E:  Tokyo, Minato-ku, Toranomon 3-19-7

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MEGURO: (CLOSED) Rasoi Indian Restaurant... waiters traditional clothing are truly unique.

I ventured into Rasoi years ago and decided to take Mari over the weekend.  You won't find clean cut Indian staff here but very traditional (I'm assuming) guys with head gear, very long beards and long one piece Indian clothing.  The impact of the waiters is very strong with their dark mysterious faces but thats until they start to speak and smile... the staff was so friendly.  What added to this mystic was the very dark restaurant setting with equal interior design. You gotta check it out.

The Lunch Specials (Click to Enlarge).

It was a cloudy day so the interior may have been a bit darker than normal.

Lunch special salad...

When I ordered my Chicken Curry the waiter said it was spicy... he was correct.

Mari's creamy shrimp curry was so mild and good... will go for this next time. She ordered the rice but it was just regular Japanese rice coated in butter.

Chai and Lassi. Comes with the Lunch. Go for the Chai! It was great.

Located on the same floor as The Meguro Tavern London Pub

SHOP: Rasoi Indian Restaruant

LOCATION: JR Meguro Station.

Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131601/13004816/

Hotpepper.jp:  http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000133752/

Address J: 東京都目黒区下目黒1-3-28 サンウッド目黒 ２Ｆ

Address E: Tokyo-to, Meguro-ku, Kami Meguro 1-3-38

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ルソイ, インド料理, インドカレー, 目黒駅, Rasoi, Japan, Japanese, foodie, yelp, tokyobelly, mariko, meguro, lunch, dinner, インド料理 ルソイ, 北インド料理 

SHIMBASHI/HAMAMATSUCHO: Mandala 2nd. Curry Done Right!

New Office, new town...not one to be prisoner of the restaurants in the building.  Checked out Tabelog Shinbashi and I was ready to start exploring.  Mandala 2 was one of the first highly ranked lunch spots I found in the Shimbashi/Hamamatsucho area.  All Indian chefs, service was quick and extremely friendly...

Went for the Butter Chicken Lunch, there are a few choices and one selection for vegetarians.  Now if you ever want to know what a delicious dish of Indian curry tastes like then this is your spot.  Lines start at around 11:50am so I suggest going at 11:40 or around 1pm when the lunch crowd dies down.  But there will be a steady line thru the afternoon.

You can select between mild, hot and super hot curry seasonings, the Nan had the perfect balance of chewy and crispy, and you close with a small yogurt dish.  I seem to find myself here once a week but its definitely 

worth it.  

Restaurant: Mandala 2nd

Location: Between Shimbashi and Hamamatsucho Station.

Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1314/A131401/13009273/

Gnavi Website: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g518600/

Address J: 東京都港区新橋6-7-2 ヤマトヨビル1F

Address E: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Shinbashi 6-7-2

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SHIBUYA: 500yen Indian Curry Lunch at TOM BOY 106!

Where to go in Shibuya for Saturday Lunch?  I'm so lost when when it comes to afternoons in Shibs... but randomly saw pictures of a restaurant featured on TV with 500yen Indian Lunch~... One coin (500yen golden coins in Japan), Had to check it out!!

B2F (Movie theater on the 1st floor also Krispy Kreme). The restaurant was spacious and very clean.

There it is! 500yen Indian Curry... Mari picked up the B-Set with the added Tandori Chicken (which we later found out to be the size of a tiny buffalo wing).

Recently learned from my Indian co-worker that Indians use a special butter sauce to coat the Nan... but this place seemed to use regular butter that created little butter puddles in the Nan.... so healthy~.

VOLUME! Lots and lots of food for 500yen!  But... at the end of the day you get what you pay for.  The Curry was basically Japanese curry... this version was bland, boring and we both got bored with the dishes.  Didn't finish the lunch and will probably never go back but if you are just visiting Tokyo it might be worth the trip.  Its like having Indian and Japanese curry fused into One! Note the chefs were Indian too... guess Mgmt was trying to keep costs down by not using Indian Spices.

Restaurant: TOM BOY 106 

Location: Walk to the left of Shibuya 109 and it will be across the Street. Look for Krispy Kreme.

Gnavi Website: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/p690003/

Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13104579/

Address J: 東京都渋谷区道玄坂2-6-17 渋東シネタワー Ｂ２Ｆ

Address E: Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka 2-6-17

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